The airport was officially dedicated on August 28, 1928, and renamed Ernest A. Love Field in honor of the local World War I aviator who had died from wounds sustained in combat during World War I. Prior to World War II, it functioned as a municipal airport primarily supporting private and recreational flying, as well as early pilot training initiatives. The Prescott Flying Club, formed in 1934, utilized an old boxcar as a makeshift terminal to promote civilian aviation education and local flights. The facility also hosted air shows, including a notable 1928 event that drew 17 Army planes, two Navy aircraft, and several civilian machines, fostering community interest in aviation. These activities aided regional travel by providing a hub for short-haul flights within northern Arizona, though operations remained limited by the unpaved dirt runways until improvements by the Work Projects Administration in 1940; the first city-owned hangar was added in 1928 to accommodate growing local aircraft use.[15][13]